Feeling Crazy Stressed? Here Are 10 Ways to Find Your Chill

Along with the rewards of a dance career come numerous sources of stress, from the demands of a busy schedule to challenges in the studio.

"We want to be perfect," says Shuaib Elhassan, a dancer with Alonzo King LINES Ballet, "and we want to reach for the best we can do."

While occasional acute stress—like pre-audition anxiety—is a normal part of life, long-term problems like financial strain, an injury or an abusive work environment can contribute to chronic stress. "When demands exceed coping resources, stress results," says Dr. Jennifer Carter, a sports psychologist at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

Chronic stress can lead to health problems ranging from depression and heart conditions to prolonged injury recovery. So what are some ways for dancers to cope?

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Try mindfulness and meditation

Use a guided meditation app, or take your own meditation breaks by focusing on your breathing, gently returning your attention to your breath when your thoughts wander.

"Mindfulness is nonjudgmental awareness of our thoughts and feelings—accepting all emotions, including anger, sadness and fear, as part of the human experience," Carter explains. "Dancers who practice mindfulness skills might notice a thought like 'I'll never get this role,' and gently escort their attention back to their breath without much reaction. This takes a lot of practice!"

Learn cognitive behavioral skills

Identify and challenge distorted and harmful thoughts when they arise. For example, Carter suggests you could gently counter a thought about not getting a role with " 'The role hasn't been cast yet. I've gotten some great roles in the past. I'll take a deep breath and do my best.' "

Make time to connect

Research shows that being proactive about reaching out for help and having a supportive community can make you more resilient. "You become a family in a company, and you learn how to help each other out," says Elhassan, who cites the sense of community at LINES as a key protective factor against stress. "We're all individuals, and we all have different ways of getting help," he points out, saying that for him, a conversation or hug from a friend can be exactly the boost he needs.

Do non-dance activities

Find a free class, play or concert in your community. Sampling something new—even if it's just a different genre of music or film—can refresh your week.

Express yourself

Journal; write stories, poetry or music; draw, paint or sculpt.

Take time for you

Treat yourself to a special morning or evening routine, like making a fun breakfast or listening to soothing music before going to bed early.

Reflect on your priorities

Is there anything you want to move around on your mental to-do list?

Practice saying "no"

Set healthy boundaries, whether that means declining a night out with friends to get some rest, or turning down an extra shift at work to spend time with a friend.

Remind yourself why you dance

"As dance transitions from being an activity of joy to becoming a professional path, it is easy to lose your intrinsic motivation," says Robin Kish, an associate professor of dance at Chapman University. Figure out what is motivating your drive to dance. Kish suggests channeling the memories of times you danced for the joy of movement, without worrying about being good enough or letting anyone down.

Reach out for help

If your stress feels overwhelming, or you'd like to learn to manage it more effectively, make an appointment with a therapist.

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<p>"About six weeks to a month before we shot, Josephine sent me a storyboard and a whole lookbook. I found that really inspiring because I often struggle, in my own work, to communicate all my ideas. I thought, why don't I make lookbooks?" Driscoll said in a recent conversation.</p><p>After rehearsal, we headed to a hotel for the night. As a concert dancer, even this indie film felt lavish to me: All our meals were provided and we each got our own hotel room. The next morning we were up early to head back to set for hair and makeup. This was a long process, but watching the hair and makeup team get everyone into 1940s glam was one of my favorite parts of the experience.</p><p>The costume team sourced almost all the clothing from vintage stores, so most of what we were wearing was completely authentic to the time period. We were included in the crowd scenes, which showed students coming and going from class, as well as a few others, so we changed between different costumes throughout the day, sneaking in extra rehearsal time here and there.</p>

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<p>By the time we got to our dance scene, the sun had gone down. We were working in and around a large tree, and the crew had set up a single massive light to illuminate the area. It was late in the day and everyone had been working since early that morning. We were told, basically, to just go for it. We performed several different movement sequences that Driscoll had put together, with the camera rolling the whole time.<br></p><p>"Those days there were like tech, dress, and a show, but with no catharsis," says Driscoll. "I love working in film, but so much of it really is delayed gratification."</p>

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